Boxing It In
by DarkSeductress
Summary: Unrequited love at it's best. Ino learns from Gaara to not box it in. Pairings: onesided InoSakura, onesided GaaraLee, mentionshints of SakuraLee, past SakuraNaruto, and possibly SakuraSasukedepending on how you interpet it. Disclaimer: I do not own the c


"Boxing It In"

By: DarkSeductress

Summary: Unrequited love at it's best. Ino learns from Gaara to not "box it in".

Pairings: onesided Ino+Sakura, onesided Gaara+Lee, mentions/hints of Sakura/Lee, past Sakura/Naruto, and possibly Sakura/Sasuke(depending on how you interpet it).

Spoilers: Possibly anything from current Japanese Anime and up to Part 2 of current Manga

Written for naruto100 livejournal community challenge: Boxes

Bonuses: Ino, food, snakes

Word Count: 908

Ino watched Sakura and Lee spare forlornly. She always wished she'd be the one to capture Sakura's attention. Ino figured that person would be lucky. But that person had never been her.

At first it had been Sasuke. Dark, handsome, mysterious Sasuke, who had only two people on his mind Naruto and Itachi. Sasuke viewed Naruto as some sordid rival to compete against. Sasuke viewed Itachi as a demon he longed to caress as much as strangle. Ino didn't know if that was sad or sick. He was always blind to Sakura, but then again maybe he saw more than anyone realized. Maybe Sakura was another demon he was running from.

Then for a brief fleeting moment, once Sasuke had left, it had been Naruto. Ino mused maybe him because he didn't remind her of snakes and near-deaths and betrayl. Maybe it was because Naruto was a link to Sakura's past, a chain to her innocence she had lost when Sasuke had left her on that stone bench with tears still flowing from her eyes. For whatever reasons, it had been Naruto, for a brief while anyway. It didn't last. There was too much pain and Sasuke standing between them.

Now Ino was convinced it was Lee. Fuzzy-browed, loud, spandex-wearing Rock Lee. Kononha's Grean Beast. Ino knew before Sakura knew that he would be next. It was how Sakura always bought him flowers. How she always made sure he ate and rest, no matter how hard he wanted to train. How she then began to train with him, like now.

So Ino watched morosely as Sakura planted a firm foot in the ground, shattering the terrain with her might and how Lee gracefully flipped away from the danger, awed by the flower's beauty and strength.

Ino didn't notice the person walking behind her, until the shadow loomed over her head. The shadow held a gourd, which only meant it was one person.

Ino started to rise out of respect, "Kazekage-"

Gaara waved her off and joined her on the ground, "Gaara."

They sat in silence that was surprisingly comfortable. Ino had heard the horror stories from Shikamaru and Naruto about who this man had been, but now...she could clearly feel the difference.

"She's beautiful." Ino found herself saying as Sakura smirked at Lee, her chest heaving.

"Hai. So is he." It was spoken in a quiet tone, that wasn't as dead as Ino remembered. She peered at him curiously.

Gaara shrugged, un-shouldering his gourd with care and setting it aside. Ino had a feeling, he wasn't a man used to circling his thoughts. He was direct.

"I watch her...them a lot. Always. She looks so happy."

Gaara nodded subtly, "Sometimes we must be patient."

"Why?" Ino met his stare head on, the smudges around his eyes weren't as dark.

"For them to see us."

Ino's eyes narrowed, "Yeah. Right." If Sakura hadn't seen her in all this time, she doubted it would happen.

"He said once," Gaara's eyes flickered to Lee, who was dodging a punch, "That the flower blooms twice."

Ino didn't bother to correct him. Lee had said lotus.

Instead, Ino scoffed, "Well, in that case, I've missed my chance. That flower's bloomed quite a few times."

Gaara's lips tilted upward at her sarcasm, "No. Only once. For them both."

Ino raised an eyebrow at that.

Gaara continued, "Uchiha was the first. She lost him. Haruno has been searching for something since. She hasn't found it. She's in transition."

"And fuzzy-brows?" Ino watched Gaara's lips twitch again.

"It's only ever been her."

"What has she been searching for?"

"You. Love." It was stated so matter-a-factly.

It ruffled Ino's feathers, "What would you of all people know about _love_?"

Gaara's eyes narrowed dangerously, " I had an illusion once. It was wretched from me. That is when I learned love is not pretty. It is not a storybook. It hurts. So I took the word, the meaning, the feeling and I boxed it away. I didn't want that pain again." Gaara looked away from her and paused.

Ino swallowed thickly, realizing she had crossed a line. This man was Kazekage. He was a known psychotic murderer. She'd better tread lightly.

Gaara continued, but Ino noticed his gaze lingered on Lee's moving form, "I realized there is a thin line between love and hate. They are interchangeable. I hated him once. I wanted to kill him...for making me feel so many things and for confusing me..."

"And now?" Ino's voice was barely above a whisper.

"I watch and wait." Gaara's eyes flickered over her again, "Like you."

Ino watched Sakura lead Lee to their lunch, "I tried once. To box it away. It didn't work."

"It doesn't," was his simple reply.

"So...I just wait..."

"Yes."

"Don't try to box it again?"

"No."

"Okay..."

Gaara rose, his eyes flickering to Lee one last time before strapping his gourd back on. He turned to walk away.

"Gaara-sama?"

He barely glanced at her over his shoulder, which was well because tears had gathered at the corners of Ino's eyes. Her voice was thick as she whispered, "Thank you."

He merely blinked before continuing on his way.

Ino wondered how a man that was so full of hate and death could understand the pain she felt. Gaara was right. Boxing it in wasn't going to help. She would accept it. She would wait. Wait for Sakura to finally see her.


End file.
